The team of professionals at Dickinson Center, Inc. is raising awareness of treatment and recovery options for behavioral health and co-occurring issues as part of National Recovery Month in September. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMSHA) 2018 theme of “Join the Voices for Recovery: Invest in Health, Home, Purpose, and Community”, coincides with Dickinson Centers’ integrated care, sense of community, purpose, and effective treatments to sustain the recovery of persons with behavioral health and co-occurring disorders.

A national study showed that 6.9 percent of adults with co-occurring disorders in the United States received both behavioral health care and specialty substance use treatment in the past year.

Getting professional support early before behavioral health conditions progress is the key for improving someone’s overall health. Trained professionals can provide treatment in different settings, including: outpatient clinics, residential facilities, and numerous day programs – based on the level of care required.

In addition to proven clinical treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy and numerous recovery-oriented programs, the pathway of Personal Medicine has become an effective outpatient approach to addressing all aspects and stages of the disorder. Personal Medicine is defined via the CommonGround Decision Support Program by Pat Deegan, PhD, as self-care that supports behavioral health recovery as well as physical and wellness goals. People may complete a “power statement” to focus on recovery, receive support from peer staff or their provider for shared decision-making, and track progress over time.

In 2018, Dickinson Center’s peer-run decision support center opened its doors and began using, CommonGround, a web-based application that helps people prepare to meet with psychiatrists before their appointments. Their Decision Support Center offers consumer access to computers for the CommonGround software. This service assists them in making shared decisions on their treatment and recovery.

Whatever path a person selects for recovery, it’s important that the treatment fits best for him or her because people can and do recover.